Articles: dementia.
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We conducted a case-control study in 100 cases who had Alzheimer's-type dementia and 100 age-, sex-, and education-matched, nondemented controls to evaluate the hypothesis that hearing impairment contributes to cognitive dysfunction in older adults. The prevalence of a hearing loss of 30 dB or greater was significantly higher in cases than in controls (odds ratio, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 3.4), even when adjusted for potentially confounding variables. ⋯ Hearing loss was also significantly and independently correlated with the severity of cognitive dysfunction, as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination, in nondemented as well as demented patients. These results demonstrate an association between hearing impairment and dementia and lend support to the hypothesis that hearing impairment contributes to cognitive dysfunction in older adults.
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J Geriatr Psych Neur · Apr 1989
Comparative Study'Don't know' responses in elderly demented and depressed patients.
The suggestion that patients having depression with reversible dementia make more "don't know" responses to cognitive questions than do demented patients was tested. Inpatients were administered the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) on admission and shortly before discharge. Errors and "don't know" responses were recorded. ⋯ Groups did not differ significantly in "don't know" responses. Comparisons between groups on sections of the MMSE showed that demented patients scored significantly lower and made more errors than DRD patients only on the orientation section of the MMSE. The results suggest that DRD patients do not make more "don't know" responses than demented patients; however, demented patients make more errors on orientation questions.
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Irish medical journal · Feb 1989
Screening for dementia and delirium using an adapted Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination.
An adapted Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination was applied to 244 consecutive admissions to an acute geriatric medical unit to determine the prevalence of cognitive impairment. At a cut-off point of 23/30, 109 (44%) were rated as normal and 44 (19%) were unable to perform the test. ⋯ Cognitive impairment was not noted by the admitting doctor in 57% of affected cases. The need for increased awareness of cognitive impairment in the elderly is emphasized, and the more widespread use of formal mental test scores is recommended.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Aug 1988
Accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of vascular dementia: a prospective clinical and post-mortem neuropathological study.
Brains from a prospective study of demented patients were investigated post mortem. Of the 27 patients with clinical diagnosis of vascular dementia, 23 showed multiple cerebral infarcts but senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles were absent or in insignificant numbers. This gives an accuracy of 85%, a figure higher than previously documented.